DUE NORTH RUM

Compared to a lot of aged rums out there, the Due North is fairly young (aged only four to five months) and fairly dry, which gives it a flavor almost closer to a whiskey than a rum. But there’s still a note of sugar on the nose, and a little bit of sweetness that sticks around on the tongue after a sip. Good test of any rum (besides just sipping it neat) is to put it in a daiquiri, with a little bit of simple syrup and a little bit of lime, and the zippy Due North nicely splits the difference between tasting like a white rum and a more mellowed-out anejo. And once you’ve figured out the flavor profile, you can sub in an aged rum for any brown spirit in a cocktail–instantly, that rummy sweetness can make drinks feel more summery (though make sure to cut down a little on the other sweet ingredients if you’re adapting a whiskey drink).